Electrical stimulation, ice and athletic tape

   Beneath the Hutton Sports Center, down a large flight of stairs, the support system for Chapman's athletes toils away trying to get players back on the field or court.

   Chapman's Athletic Training Education Program works tirelessly to keep Panther athletes in healthy and playing condition. Once accepted into the program after their freshman year at Chapman, athletic training majors are assigned specific teams at Chapman, local high school, and community colleges as well as professional teams. The students perform as athletic trainers during their assigned sport season to help athletes prepare for their seasons and to recover from sports-related injuries.

   "This program was a deciding factor for me when picking schools," said Taylor Anguiano, a junior athletic training major.

   Students who join love the feeling of helping an injured athlete get back into playing condition. Other universities do not allow students to start hands-on experience until junior year, Chapman student trainers said. This training helps the students gain experience quickly, even if they must be guided gently into it.

   "Initially, in the beginning of the season, they are unable to do as much," said Head Athletic Trainer Pam Gibbons. "But as the season goes on I try to be less and less directly involved."

   Student athletic trainers work with three certified athletic trainers through emergency scenarios of assisting a team, such as how to assist an athlete who is badly injured during a game and how to help him or her recover. Student athletic trainers come to Chapman for sports training camps to complete physicals, perform concussion testing and ensure proper fit of all equipment on each athlete. They also assist with taping, stretching and any other assistance before practice and pre-games and evaluate a player's symptoms when they're injured.

   Last year, every student in the graduating class passed his or her board of certification to become certified athletic trainers.  

   "I try not to be as involved in the decision-making process so they have those experiences to build on in their decision-making and ultimately as a professional," Gibbons said.

   Athletic training majors design rehabilitation programs for injured athletes.

   Junior Marissa Andersen, the goalie for women's soccer, tore her ACL during a game Oct. 12 against UC Santa Cruz and is on an athletic training rehabilitation plan.  

   "Before surgery I was on a student-designed plan and after my surgery, I've been on a different one," Anderson said. "Student athletic trainers are great because off the field, if you need something, I can always give them a call."

   The training facility's team physician, an orthopedic specialist, comes to campus once a week to evaluate athlete injuries and make recommendations for treatment. If an injury occurs that the certified athletic trainers think is severe, the athlete is sent to a physician for proper treatment.

   "We do most of our pre-rehab and pre-surgical rehabilitation here," Gibbons said. "If they need surgery, they will have it and come back and do physical therapy with us or we will make referrals for a physical therapy clinic."

   Chapman's athletic training facility has the necessary resources available for athletes, including tape, ice, muscle massage, exercise bikes and electrical stimulation (e-stim), a machine that contracts muscles to relieve pain and helps them recover after surgery.

   Carly Sanchez, junior defense and midfielder on the women's soccer team, uses all resources the athletic training facility provides.

   "Freshman year, I pulled my quad and I needed to get e-stim before every practice and game," she said. "Sophomore year, I rolled my ankle in a game and I came out of the game and one of our [athletic trainers] taped me up and sent me back in."